Newton - The Nobel Prize Winners of the Future

Newton - Nobelpreisgewinner der Zukunft

Newton, ORF's weekly science programme, profiles three researchers who just might win a Nobel Prize for Austria in 2030. What it means when molecules are symmetrically arranged or - conversely - are not, is shown by Nuno Maulide, a Portuguese Professor of Organic Chemistry and trained pianist, in the gym, on the piano and, quite simply, with two egg spoons.And because the nuclear pores in the cell nucleus are not just simply there to transport molecules here and there at terrific speed, but instead are directly involved in the production of genetic information, the molecular biologist and horn player, Alwin Köhler, travelled with us to places that do not normally call to mind the work of a cell nucleus. The researcher from Transylvania explains to an underground ticket collector how copies of DNA come about and simulates order in the chaos of the cells in Vienna City Library, by misaligning books. Finally, he heads to the Naschmarkt, where he compares market vegetables with human cells to help us gain a clearer understanding of his discoveries about nuclear pores. Reinhold Scherer, a neuroengineer from Graz, resorts to props for Newton. He makes a neuron from scratch, simulates brain activity and rocks his research work at the European Science Slam in front of an international audience. The researcher hopes to develop systems that will establish an interface between the brain and computers - machines that could possibly help quadriplegics to move.